Leg Four - 9.27 km

Marama Resort to Rotorua Airport

Leg 4

The fourth leg of the Ekiden is the longest, just. This part of the course is mostly rural running alongside State Highway 33 (which becomes SH30). There is a good sized shoulder most of the way but you should be careful the closer you get to town as traffic will increase later in the day.

This leg starts out flat on Hamurana Rd, running directly away from the lake. A right turn takes you onto the state highway and at 1km in, you the hit bridge over the Ohau Channel – the waterway between Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. From there, the course climbs to 3k’s in and then drops back down. The last 5km to the airport are flat.

All teams need to take the upmost care at Changeover Points

We know the changeover points are a lot of fun and it’s very exciting waiting for your runner to arrive before you dash off to the next changeover. However, all participants MUST take the utmost care of themselves and those around them. Please, please, please – this is not the Olympics and a few seconds will not matter at the end of the afternoon. Team drivers – you MUST enter, park and exit the changeover vicinity slowly and safely. Concentrate on the road and those around you, not the event. Team members, look out for other cars when you exit your vehicle – you are not bulletproof!

Elevation

Flat at the start and a long flat section at the finish but a reasonably tough set of rollers in the middle will test you.

Changeover Point

Changeover point 4 is at the Rotokawa weighbridge, 927 Te Ngae Rd, Rotorua. This NZ Police facility is on the outskirts of Rotorua airport. Changeovers will take place in the main car park, off the road, and there is plenty of space for cheering team members so … give it heaps!

Parking

Avoid parking inside the weighbridge facility as this requires you to cross the line of runners. There is a very wide shoulder on the other side of Te Ngae Rd to park on but please take extra care crossing this very busy highway.